Plastic toilet seat hinge



March 13, 1945. H. D. wATsoN' PLASTIC TOILET SEAT HINGE Filed Aug. 11, 1943 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 13, 1945.

H. D. WATO'N PLASTIC TOILET SEAT HINGE Filed Aug. 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 flaw I I Wafs qr:

Patented Mar. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLASTIC TOILET SEAT HINGE HaroldD. Watson, Beloit, Wis. Application August 11, 1943, Serial No. 493,154

6 Claims.

Another object of this invention is to provide a plastic toilet seat hinge so designed and constructed as to have free pivotal motion of the seat and cover members despite possible misalinement. of the supporting standards resulting from being mounted on an uneven surface of the toilet bowl. I

Still another object of this invention is to pro--v videa plastic toilet seat hinge wherein the parts are formed of a plastic having sufficient elasticity to yield under normal stress and take up the play or clearance inthe connections between the parts and thus transfer the stress to the reinforcing member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a toilet seat hinge of the character described which incorporates a reinforcing rod of wood or other suitable material so embodied in the construction as to tie the hinge parts together and reinforce the trunnions by which the hinge mem-' bers are pivotally mounted in the standards.

With the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds,-

this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat hinge constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrating its mannerof use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional.

view through the hinge;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through,

Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3-3;

Figure 4 is a perspective viewillustrating all.

of the parts of the hinge separated and in their proper order of assembly; and

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away and in section illustrating a slightly modifiedembodiment of the invention.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the standards of the hinge which are molded of a suitable plastic and have attaching bolts 6 embedded therein. The bolts 6 extend downwardly for passage through the holes in the customary ledge l of the toilet bowl to enable the standards to be anchored thereto.

Each standard has a transverse bore 8 for the reception of trunnions 9 and Ill. The trunnions 9 project from the opposite ends of a cover hinge member H and the trunnions l0 project from the inner sides of seat hinge members l2. The combined length of the pair of trunnions 9 and I0 is substantially equal to the length of the bore 8 so that when assembledthe bores 8 are substantially fully occupied by the trunnions.

The trunnions Ill on the seat hinge members are hollow to' receive the end portions of a reinforcing rod 13 embedded in the cover'hinge memher It coaxially with its trunnions 9 or snugly seated in a cored hole extending therethrough coaxially with its trunnions. In any event the reinforcing rod 13 which. may be of wood or any other uitable material reinforces the trunnions 9 and projects beyond the ends thereof to protrude through the standards and enter the hollow v trunnions I0.

It is to be observed that the ends of the reinforcing rod extend a substantial distance into the seat hinge members l2 and beyond their inner faces from which the trunnions 10 project, Consequently, the anchorage of the hollow trunnions ID on their respective cover hinge members is re-f inforced by the rod.

The seat hinge members I2 have attaching flanges M which are secured to the :under side of the toilet seat by screws or other fasteners. The cover hinge member I I is similarly secured to the cover-by means of a flange I5 provided with apertures for the reception of attachingscrews.

Attention is directed to the fact that the trunnions 9 and I0 have substantial play :or clearance in the bores 8 and that the projecting ends of the reinforcing rod similarly fit rather loosely in thehollow trunnions Ill and the inward extensions of their bores into the seat hinge members. In view of thisv clearance, free pivotal motion of the seat and cover members is assured despite the possibility of misalinement of the transverse bores in the standards due to their being mounted on an uneven surface of the toilet bowl.

It is also to be specially observed that the plastic of which the hinge members are made is sufficiently elastic to permit the hinge members to yield under normal stress and thus take up the clearance between the parts to the point where the reinforcing rod carries the load. In this manner the reinforcing rod is effective .iorits purpose without incurring the objectionable possibility of binding resulting from misalinement of in the standards.

As illustrated in Figure 5, it is also possible to 5 adapt the hinge of the invention to installations where the toilet seat cover is omitted. In (this instance, the toilet seat cover hinge member ll the bores is supplanted with a spreader fl6 which may be cylindrical and which spans the distance between the standards and has the reinforcing rod l3 positionedtherein in thesameimanneras the hinge member ll. i

The ends :of the spreader :are formed with flanges 1! providing shoulders to bear against :the inner faces of the standards :and have trunnions 9' projecting beyond the shoulders to enter the standards .in the same manner as hereinbefore described. In other respects, the construction shown inFigure 5 is the same :as that of Figures 1 to 4, inclusive.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides a substantial improvement .in plastic toilet seat hinges in that it makes the hinge"practicallyindestructible without the necessity for using critical material and without entailing the possibility of, binding or other interference with free :pivotal .motion of the .cover and-seat.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A .plastic :toiletseat hingecomprising: a pair of standards molded'of plast c-and each having-a transverse bore attaching bolts on the standards for securing the same to a toilet bowl with their transverse bores substantially coaxial; a pair of hinge members molded of plastic and each having a. hollowtrunnion projecting from one side and an attaching flange adapted forattachment to a toilet .seat with the hollow trunnions of the hinge members facing each other and received in the outer end portions of the transverse bores of the standards; a member molded of plastic and spanning the space between the standards, said member having integral trunnions projecting from the ends thereof and received in the inner end portions of the transverse bores-of the standards; a reinforcing rod embedded in said last named member coaxially with its trunnions and projecting from the ends of the trunnions and entering the hollow trunnions on the'hinge -members'whereby said rod ties the entire hinge structure together and reinforces the trunnions.

2. A plastic toilet seat hinge comprising: a pair of standards molded ofplastic and each having a transverse bore, attaching bolts on the standards for securing the same to a toilet'bowl with their transverse bores substantially coaxial; a pair of hingemembers molded of plastic and each having a hollow trunnion projecting from one side and an 'attaching'flange adapted for attachment to a toiletseat with the hollow trunnions of the hinge members facing each other and received in the outer end portions of the transverse bores of the standards; a membermolded of "plastic and spanning the space between the standards, said member having integral trunnions projecting from the ends thereof and received in the inner end portions of the transverse bores of the standards; a reinforcing rod embedded in said last named member coaxially with its trunnions and projecting from the ends of the trunnions and entering the hollow trunnions on the hinge members whereby said rod ties the entire hinge structure togetherzand reinforces the trunnions, all of the trunnionsihaving substantial clearance in the transverse bores of the standards and the projecting ends of the reinforcing rod having substantial clearance in the bores of the hollow trun- -nions projecting from the hinge members to accommodate possible misalinement of the parts due to the standards being mounted on uneven rsurfa'ced toilet bowls.

3. .A .plastic toilet seat hinge comprising: a pair of standards molded of plastic and each having a transverse bore; attaching :bolts on thestandards iorzsecuring the same to a toilet bowl with their transverse .bores substantially coaxial; a palr o'i hinge members molded'of plastic and each having :a hollow trunnion projecting from one side and an :attaching .iflange adapted for attachment to a toilet seat with the hollow trunnions -of the hinge members facing each other and received in the outer end portions of the transverse bores of the standards; a member molded of plastic and spanning the space between the standards, 'said member having integral trunnions projecting from the ends thereof and received in the inner end portions of the transverse bores o'f the-standards'; and a reinforcing rod embedded in said last named member 'coaxi'ally with its trunnions and projecting from the ends of the trunnions and entering th hollow trunnions on the hinge memberswhereby said rod 'ties 'theentire hinge struc- 1 ture "together and reinforces the trunnions, the

ends of the reinforcingrod extending into the hinge tmembers beyond their sides from which their hollow trunnions project to reinforce the anchorage of said hollow trunnions.

4. A plastic toilet seat hinge comprising: a pair of standards molded of plastic and each having a transverse bore; attaching bolts on the standards for securing the same to a toilet bowl with their transverse bores substantially coaxial; a pair of hinge members molded of plastic and each having a hollow trunnion projecting 'from one side.

and an attaching flange adapted for attachment to 'a toilet seat with the hollow trunnions of the hinge members facing each other and received in the outer end portions of the transverse bores oi the standards; a cover hinge member molded of plastic and spanning the space between the standards, 'said cover hinge member having integral trunnions projecting from the'ends thereof and received in the inner end portions of the transverse bores of the standards; a :reinforcing rod embedded in said cover hinge member coaxially-with its "trunnions and projecting from the ends thereof and beyond the .s'tandards'with its ends entering the hollow trunnions on the hinge I members whereby said .rod ties the entire hinge structure together and reinforces the trunnions; and aflange on said cover hinge member adapted for attachment to a toilet seat cover;

5. A plastic toilet seathinge comprising: a pair of standards molded of plastic and each having a transverse bore; attaching bolts on the standaids for securing the same to a toilet bowl with their transverse bores substantially coaxial; a pair of hinge members molded of'plas't'ic'and each having a hollow trunnion projecting from one side and an attaching flange adapted for attachment to a toilet seat with the hollowtrunnions of the hinge members facing each other and received in the outer end portions of the transverse bores oi structure together and reinforces the trunnions;

and a flange on said cover hinge member adapted for attachment to a toilet seat cover; said trunnions having substantial clearance in the bores of the standards and theends of the reinforcing rod having substantial clearance in the bores of the hollowtrunnions on the hinge members to which the toilet seat is fixed'to insure freedom of hinge action of the parts notwithstanding such possible misalinement as might result from an uneven toilet bowl top surface and the hinge members having suflicient elasticity to yield under stress and take up the clearance between the parts so that the load causing the stress is transmitted to th reinforcing rod. a

6. A toilet seat hinge comprising: a pair of standards each having a transverse bore and a flat bottom spaced the same distance from the time; an attaching bolt extending from the bottom of each standard for securing the same to -e top of a toilet bowl with the transverse bores the two standards substantially coaxialfa hinge members each having an attaching flange adapted for attachment to the underside a toilet seat and having an upstanding boss at T one end to be positioned adjacent to the rear edge off; the toilet seat, and a hollow trunnion formed integrally with said boss and projecting from the inner face thereof so that said hollow trunnions the two hinge members project toward each i "ther and into the outer end portions of the ansverse bores of the standards to. hingedly cunt the toilet seat; a cover hinge member of a ngth to span the distance between theinner ces of said standards, said cover hinge member ll -raving a flange adapted for attachment'to the iiiiderside of a toilet seat cover; a shoulder proiecting up from said flange for engagement with the rear edge of the cover to facilitate positioning the cover on said cover hinge meniberjhollow trunnions projecting from opposite ends of said cover hinge member and received in the inner end portions of the transverse bores of the standards 9 hingedly mount the cover; and a reinforcing iiiod embedded in the cover hinge member and extending for thefull lengththereof through its hollow trunnions and beyoncLthe ends of its hollow trunnions into the hollow trunnions of the seat hinge members.

HAROLD D. WATSON. 

